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Field Recordings

Field Recordings, the new multimedia project from the Bang on a Can All-Stars, is as rooted in mystery and experimentation as it is in the collaborative spirit; in the words of composer David Lang, “It’s a kind of ghost story. We asked composers from different parts of the music world to find a recording of something that already exists — a voice, a sound, a faded scrap of melody — and then write a new piece around it.”

In the capable hands of the All-Stars, Field Recordings taps into film, found sound and obscure audio-visual archives, bridging the gap between the seen and the unseen, the present and the absent, the past and the future. Concert performances have featured radical new video projections, several of which appear on the bonus DVD, while the 12-track CD consists of commissioned music by some of the most inquisitive and unconventional composers in any genre, from indie art-rock (Nick Zammuto/The Books, Tyondai Braxton/Battles) to electronica (Mira Calix) to post-classical (Michael Gordon, David Lang, Julia Wolfe) to the art world (Christian Marclay).

album credits

For more than a century, recorded sound has permeated every corner of our lives. Bartok and Kodaly took recording devices into the hills of central Europe and changed modern music forever; rock and roll got its lineage from artists revealed to the world by the Lomaxes, Seegers and other intrepid archivists. Hip-hop culture democratized sampling, and helped reshape popular music into a form of musique concrète, mixing the voices and rhythms of the past with the sound of machinery and electronics.

For our own Field Recordings, we asked the composers to go into the field of recorded sound itself — to find something old or record something new, and to respond with their own music, in dialogue with what they found. Using archival audio, found sound and video, Field Recordings builds a bridge between the seen and the unseen, the present and the absent, the past and the future.

Gene Takes a DrinkCamera by GeneEdit by Bill MorrisonComposed by Michael GordonPublished by Red Poppy Ltd. (ASCAP)Special thanks: Laurie Olinder and the gardeners of 9C Community Garden, NYC

HzComposed, directed and edited by Jóhann JóhannssonFilmed by Magnus HelgasonPublished by Mute Song (ASCAP) Filmed at the Elliðarár Power Station, which is the oldest one of its kind in Iceland. Built in 1921, it was in use until 1990, when it was taken out of service. Its dynamos are kept functional, however, and the power station is activated once a year for a few hours to keep the machinery in good condition. The station is in an old building in a beautiful, idyllic spot in the Elliðarár Valley, surrounded by trees and water streams.

Maximus to Gloucester, Letter 27 [withheld]Composed by Bryce DessnerPublished by Chester Music Ltd.Charles Olson footage (filmed 1965-66) courtesy of The Poetry Center & American Poetry Archives, San Francisco State University

meeting you seemed easyComposed by Mira CalixFilmed at O. R. Tambo International Airport and Amsterdam Airport SchipholAudio recorded between London, Geneva and MilanPublished by Mute Song (PRS)

Cantaloupe Music is the record label created and launched in March 2001 by the three founders of New York's legendary Bang on a Can organization—composers Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe—with Bang on a Can managing director Kenny Savelson. Cantaloupe Music has made a massive impact in the new music community, and has been recognized by critics and fans worldwide for its edgy and adventurous sounds.

Our goal is to provide a home for contemporary classical and post-classical music that is, in the words of Michael Gordon, “too funky for the academy.” Throughout its nearly 15-year history, Cantaloupe has repeatedly received Top Ten of the Year accolades from such publications as the New York Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, The Guardian (UK), The Wire (UK), Newsday, Mojo magazine, Gramophone, Billboard, Stereophile and Time Out New York. Cantaloupe releases have also been featured on CNN, National Public Radio, the BBC, Pitchfork.tv and numerous outlets online, in print and over the airwaves.

Regarding Submissions

We welcome unsolicited submissions. However, though they will be listened to, we cannot guarantee a response, and no submissions will be returned. Please send CDs to the address above c/o Cantaloupe A&R. Please include information about performances (both past and upcoming).